Training Log Archive: Bruce

World Cup 3 Prologue



This was high speed orienteering in open terrain. However it was also very steep and bumpy, with sheep ruts and broken ground. You had to be fast and very strong.
I started ok but I soon found the course physically tough. I lost time on 8 after not seeing the control on the other side of a tree. I ran across the top of the little gully and into the next one. I didn't want to turn back as I hadn't seen the control in the previous gully so I went on to the next one. Eventually I had to turn back and found it after losing 90 seconds.
The rest of the course was ok, but it was a slog in hot and steep conditions.

World Cup 3 Chasing Start

Map 1



Map 2


I was on my own in this chasing start race. It was going to be hot and steep with 380m climb, so I set off at a pace that I could sustain. My aim was to get through the technical areas smoothly and hope that some of those in front of me faltered.
I did see Josh about 2 minutes in front of me half way around the course, but I could never catch him. My time was just in front of Lachlan Dow who suffered late in the course with hills and was passed by Josh.

It was a good feeling to run up the finish to cheers from the Australian support crew. I was not strong enough, but given that I was only offered the start in the race just before christmas, I was happy that I did the best that I could.

Oceania Race #6



As this is the day before 2 World Cup races, I took it very easy, cruising around 14 controls before running back to the finish.
Several of the gully crossings were quite gnarly, so I took no risks and made my way slowly.

Event 2 2 - Splits

First run - no map. The GPS track will show some dead ends and back tracking.

Run backwards to find the kids in the maze.

Puzzle maze with right hand turns only.

Second attempt with no map. Still some errors.

Maze orienteering



and satellite view



http://www.amazenfun.co.nz/amazing-maze-n-maize/

Final attempt navigating with map and punching 10 orienteering controls in 6:30 (985m).

According to the owner, this was the fastest time of the season and made the blackboard. The Swedish team had a go afterwards, but my time of the day still remained.

Map run on maze with Mason

Map run on maze with Torren and Mason

Oceania Long Distance Championships
Ngatawhai
M35A


The forest was awesome for the first 4 controls. It then got steeper and tougher. My route choice to 6 was quite good and I was feeling strong.
The big climb up to 8 was tough, but I was still moving well.
My first trouble came at 10. I took the safe option around the track, but I still had trouble looking for a tree in a forest. I really had no idea what type of tree I was looking for, and I started searching behind any tree that looked special. It was low visibility. I went back to the track to relocate off the drinks and eventually found it. Perhaps 3 minutes lost.
Running to 15 I didn't read the minor gully on the map, and confused it with the first watercourse. This caused me to stop one watercourse too early, and I lost another 90 seconds.
I finished strongly across the paddocks and secured my first international title of my career with a 10 minute win in M35A.

A great decision by the Oceania organisers to cancel Quaratine for Oceania Champs elites. Well done!

Long Champs - 2 - Splits

Oceania Sprint Distance Championships
World Cup "B" Final

World of O Analysis of this race.
Here is an assessment of my route choices according to the course setter, Bill Edwards;
S-1 - left was better. lost about 5 seconds.
1-2 - good choice but not much in it
2-3 - left was much smoother and faster. Lost 20 seconds.
3-4 - best route, including the correct exit direction left from the courtyard.
6-7 - The most important leg to get correct - and I did, saving 30-40 seconds. Apparetnly very few people took the wide right hand route that I took, which was faster and safer.
7-8 - no difference
8-9 - no difference
9-10 - best route
11-12 - best route
12-13 - best route
13-14 - no difference
14-15 - 2-3 seconds lost, but I didn't have to read the map as I had already been this way.
15-16 - 2 seconds lost. I was happier with the familiar right hand route though.
17-18 - best route


Map 1

This was a steep sprint, with some very complex buildings and crucial route choices. When I first picked up the map, I struggled to find the options for the first few controls. I only saw a right hand option to #1. The left hand options would have been better, but I didn't see them. The stairs appeared as an rockface to me at running speed.
I looked for more options to #3, but again, I didn't really see the left hand option with such narrow passages. I executed the first 3 cleanly, but I did lose some time on route choices.
The next big decision was #7. I had decided that I would avoid any steep climbs, so I ran all the way around the right hand side of the buildings and up the road.

Map 2

I finished well and got through this map cleanly and finished off fast, making up a few places.

Sprint Champs - C1 - Splits

World Cup Sprint Distance Qualification
Mr Speaker, Parliament House, Wellington.

Map 1

A clean start as I got into the map. I wasn't certain on the route choice to 2, but I didn't hesitate and went with a safe option. I couldn't see the flag at 8. It was behind a parked car, but this was no more than 2 or 3 seconds lost. The climb to 9 was tough, but I tried to stay in control and leave something in my legs for the tricky northern section.
My worst mistake was on the way to 10, turning up some stairs 5m before the gate I was aiming for. The next section was clean and I made up time and passed my one minute man by the map exchange.

Map 2

I had little time to look at the options to 16, so I took the safe route left where I had already been. To 17 I used the right hand ramp again as I knew it and could run fast. I then saw that the rest of the course was quite easy and put my head down and pushed hard to the end. I was happy to finish off the course strongly and accurately.

My race was quite good, but I was not fast enough. The top elites are all very fast and just don't make mistakes, even in this tricky sprint terrain. The hilly course didn't do me any favours, and I lost a bit on the qualifiers on the hills.

World Cup Sprint Qualification - Men - Splits

World Cup Middle Distance
Waikawa Beach. NZ



This was a very technical race in coastal sand dunes. My approach was to stay in control and keep map contact, and to try to run a clean race. I started well and ran clean until the first spectator control. I had almost caught Ian 4 minutes but not quite enough to be in touch. I relaxed and aimed off to the river but this was rough going. I would have been much better off navigating straight. I saw Ian again on a longer beach leg. I was hoping that he would lead me in, but he missed it. I was hoping to see the special feature but I missed that too, and I then relocated quickly off 22 nearby, losing about a minute. My next mistake was again a spectator control. I didn't read the contour line under the circle so I thought the contr was near the end of the spur.
I lost 3 minutes in the second half. Not too bad given the complexity, but a 44 minute run would have made me much happier with my efforts. Still 53rd and 6th Aussie was satisfying.

World Cup 1 - Middle Men - Splits

Work Cup Middle Distance model
Intricate sand dune famiarisation.

W10 shadowing Sophie
She ran hard today, trying to keep ahead of a girl chasing her.

C • shadowing 6

Event: 2013 Oceania Carnival & WC Races
 

Oceania Race 1
Near Bulls NZ



M35
I had a fantastic race except for #15, losing 4 minutes from not checking my compass carefully. Otherwise I was very fast and very clean.
I beat the M20s and a but 2 of the w21Es.

An easy 13 minute win in M35

W10 shadowing Sophie

Event 1 C 2 - Splits